Promises
by tastewithouttalent
Summary: "When Balder wakes up, Loki's playing with his hair." Loki braids Balder's hair and Balder offers reassurance.


When Balder wakes up, Loki's playing with his hair.

This has become a common occurrence since he and Thor first met the other boy; the redhead seems to be drawn to the fall of Balder's white-gold hair, likes to touch it and let it slide through his fingers, and it's soothing so Balder doesn't tell him to stop. Even now he stays still for a moment, keeps his eyes shut and just smiles at the always-gentle pull of Loki's fingers against the strands as he collects awareness around him again.

He doesn't speak until the motion becomes regular, takes on a pattern the blond can't quite place. Even then he doesn't move or open his eyes, just murmurs, "Loki, what are you doing?"

There's a pause in the motion, Loki's dextrous fingers stalling in whatever he's doing. "How did you know it was me?"

There's a whole host of reasons - there's a knee pushing in against Balder's leg, the point of contact Loki always seems to need. No one else plays with his hair, and he can hear the faint irregularities in the other's breathing that always make him sound like he's on a verge of an adrenaline rush. But mostly it's just that it's Loki, that he's himself even if Balder's not looking at him directly, so Balder smiles wider and says "Because you're you," and rolls over onto his back so he can open his eyes and see Loki's face. The movement pulls at his scalp, tension against a single lock of hair, and when Balder looks the redhead has a braid in his fingers, red and gold twining together in one plait.

Balder sits up, reaches out to touch the braid of his hair together with Loki's. The redhead has taken out his usual braid to recollect the long strands in with a portion of Balder's, pattern them together until the colors blend together in a single strand.

Balder looks up; Loki is staring down at his stilled fingers, flushing hot across his cheeks so the blond has to laugh. "This is beautiful."

Silver eyes flicker up to his, back down. Loki's fingers close over the pattern like he's protecting it, or maybe clinging to it. "I wanted to see it together. Your hair and mine."

Balder laughs, tugs gently back against the braid. "We're connected, now."

Loki sighs, lets his fingers relax. "Yeah." Balder reaches out to touch the end of the plait, tugs gently to start freeing the strands, and the redhead's hold closes over his fingers, stalls the motion even before he says, "_No_, don't undo it."

"I have to eventually," Balder points out, but Loki's hold doesn't loosen, and his mouth is starting to shape into a frown, his eyes starting to go soft with the threat of tears.

"I don't want you to go," Loki says, like they're talking about something a lot bigger than a few inches of braid.

Balder stays still for a moment. Then he slides his fingers free, reaches out for the redhead's other hand so he can curl their fingers together.

"Loki." The redhead glances up but doesn't lift his chin, just stares at Balder with a defensive hunch still in his shoulders. Balder leans in to take the tension off his scalp, close enough that his forehead bumps in against Loki's. "I'm not going anywhere."

Loki blinks at him, the threat of tears still behind his eyelashes, and Balder nudges his nose against the redhead's, smiles encouragingly. "I'll always be with you, Loki."

The promise comes easy to his lips, but Loki's fingers in his go tense, the other boy's face goes taut with intensity. "Always." It's a plea and a vow at the same time, desperation for contact audible under the word.

Balder turns his hand over, fits his palm against Loki's and shuts his eyes as he smiles. "Forever. We'll always be together."

The redhead lets out a shuddering breath - Balder can feel the panic slide out of him with the exhale - and then he turns his head in, impulsive and fast so Balder doesn't have time to react before lips brush the very corner of his mouth.

It's very chaste, the quick heat of contact before Loki starts to tip his chin away. But Balder leans forward, maintains the warmth of Loki's mouth against his and turns slightly so the contact is mutual, so when he presses his mouth in he can just taste the edge of the redhead's lips. They both stay still for a moment, long enough for Balder to feel Loki's breathing coming faster against his mouth in reaction to the contact; then Loki pulls away, flushing scarlet over his cheeks and not looking at Balder's face. This time when Balder reaches for the braid Loki lets him pull it free, starts to move away before Balder reaches out with his free hand to touch his face. He goes instantly still as soon as the blond moves, though he doesn't look up, even when Balder's thumb comes down against the row of moles just under his eye. Balder lets his touch linger for a moment, until Loki's eyes shut and his throat works around a swallow. Then Balder lets his hand drop, and when Loki moves to tug his fingers free of the other's the blond lets him go without resistance.

He's still smiling at Loki's back when the door shuts behind him.


End file.
